Comments on: Fired for a Scarf http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/ "A tiny act can have profound effects." Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:09:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: las5545 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-3/#comment-27603 las5545 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:22:06 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-27603 I think that this is a horrible story. The girl should have realized that there would be a problem when she was told that there were only certain colors allowed to be worn. The Abercrombie “look policy” has been a problem in the past. This young female was wearing her hijab because it is a religious practice and I think that was pretty obvious when the company was going to hire her. Quiet honestly if this was going to be a problem the whole time they just should not have hired her. Abercrombie and Fitch tries to be an “all American” company but what that don’t realize is that as time increases America is getting more and more diverse and less and less white. It is sad how they are still a successful company and can behave in a racist manner...Feb19 I think that this is a horrible story. The girl should have realized that there would be a problem when she was told that there were only certain colors allowed to be worn. The Abercrombie “look policy” has been a problem in the past. This young female was wearing her hijab because it is a religious practice and I think that was pretty obvious when the company was going to hire her. Quiet honestly if this was going to be a problem the whole time they just should not have hired her. Abercrombie and Fitch tries to be an “all American” company but what that don’t realize is that as time increases America is getting more and more diverse and less and less white. It is sad how they are still a successful company and can behave in a racist manner…Feb19

]]> By: ACL http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-3/#comment-26845 ACL Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:48:30 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-26845 I think that this is a terrible thing. Abercrombie and Fitch as well as Hollister does have some strict standards with their look policy. For example, the employees are supposed to wear their flip flops all year round. However, in my LER 201 class we learned about a case where a worker at Domino's had facial hair and they fired him because he would not shave it and Domino's had a clean shaven face policy. The judge sided with Domino's and stated that they had the right to tell their employees how they want them to look because they are a representation of the company. I think that this and the Domino's example are just plain wrong. Looks aren't everything. The attitudes of the employees count more than the look. I think that this is a terrible thing. Abercrombie and Fitch as well as Hollister does have some strict standards with their look policy. For example, the employees are supposed to wear their flip flops all year round. However, in my LER 201 class we learned about a case where a worker at Domino's had facial hair and they fired him because he would not shave it and Domino's had a clean shaven face policy. The judge sided with Domino's and stated that they had the right to tell their employees how they want them to look because they are a representation of the company. I think that this and the Domino's example are just plain wrong. Looks aren't everything. The attitudes of the employees count more than the look.

]]> By: jls5872 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-3/#comment-26041 jls5872 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:24:09 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-26041 This video reminded me a lot of another video that Sam showed earlier in the semester during class. It had to do with customers' reactions to a hired actor making very racist comments to an Islamic woman trying to purchase something at a deli (or something of the sort). Although they're two completely different situations, both videos give insight into areas of some Americans' mindsets about middle-easterners in our country. I just don't understand why some people continuously categorize middle-easterners as 'terrorists' based on the clothing they wear, or the dialect with which they speak. Abercrombie and Fitch obviously has a re-occurring problem within their organization in dealing with these misconceptions, as the video stated that this wasn't the first time the company has been in a legal dispute having to do with the headdresses of its employees. The fact that they have been sued before for virtually the same thing just goes to show that they haven't learned their lesson and they deserve to have to deal with these legal problems all over again. It's one thing for a single person to represent close-mindedness, but what does it say when it's coming from inside the company itself, as the video explained the decision to fire her came from corporate headquarters. When do we as customers stand up and say, “Enough is enough?” Why do we continue to purchase shirts, pants, etc. from a company that has a past, and a present for that matter in discriminating against our fellow Americans? It doesn’t make sense to me. In order to really send a message to Abercrombie and Fitch I feel like we, as consumers are going to have to step up and show this company that we’re not going to let this take place anymore. I’m glad that this issue wasn’t just swept under and that FOX News decided to cover the story. In my opinion, this video is as frightening as it is shocking, I mean, the girl refused to have her face shown because she has had death threats over the incident. For people to be sending her death threats is just downright disgusting, she didn’t do anything to deserve the way she’s being treated. It doesn’t make sense to me that this girl was fired for a reason that was not only completely unfair to her, but that people would be threatening her life because of it. If I was in her position, I would be doing the exact same thing. Not only is this a testament to the closed-mindedness of some people in our society, but it is discrimination in its purest form. The only thing we can do is hope that her fight against Abercrombie and Fitch causes them to change their ways, and opens some eyes within our society. This video reminded me a lot of another video that Sam showed earlier in the semester during class. It had to do with customers' reactions to a hired actor making very racist comments to an Islamic woman trying to purchase something at a deli (or something of the sort). Although they're two completely different situations, both videos give insight into areas of some Americans' mindsets about middle-easterners in our country. I just don't understand why some people continuously categorize middle-easterners as 'terrorists' based on the clothing they wear, or the dialect with which they speak. Abercrombie and Fitch obviously has a re-occurring problem within their organization in dealing with these misconceptions, as the video stated that this wasn't the first time the company has been in a legal dispute having to do with the headdresses of its employees. The fact that they have been sued before for virtually the same thing just goes to show that they haven't learned their lesson and they deserve to have to deal with these legal problems all over again. It's one thing for a single person to represent close-mindedness, but what does it say when it's coming from inside the company itself, as the video explained the decision to fire her came from corporate headquarters.

When do we as customers stand up and say, “Enough is enough?” Why do we continue to purchase shirts, pants, etc. from a company that has a past, and a present for that matter in discriminating against our fellow Americans? It doesn’t make sense to me. In order to really send a message to Abercrombie and Fitch I feel like we, as consumers are going to have to step up and show this company that we’re not going to let this take place anymore. I’m glad that this issue wasn’t just swept under and that FOX News decided to cover the story. In my opinion, this video is as frightening as it is shocking, I mean, the girl refused to have her face shown because she has had death threats over the incident. For people to be sending her death threats is just downright disgusting, she didn’t do anything to deserve the way she’s being treated. It doesn’t make sense to me that this girl was fired for a reason that was not only completely unfair to her, but that people would be threatening her life because of it. If I was in her position, I would be doing the exact same thing. Not only is this a testament to the closed-mindedness of some people in our society, but it is discrimination in its purest form. The only thing we can do is hope that her fight against Abercrombie and Fitch causes them to change their ways, and opens some eyes within our society.

]]> By: jsa5091 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-3/#comment-25112 jsa5091 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:46:23 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-25112 This article is pretty outrageous but I’m not surprised at what happened. I feel that they shouldn’t have hired her in the first place. One of my friend works at Abercrombie and Fitch and he was telling me about the look policy the employees have to follow. I believe that it is okay for a company to have a look policy but in this case they shouldn’t have hired the woman if she was wearing a scarf. They should have told her that she doesn’t fit the look policy therefore they cannot be given the job. A lawsuit could be filed then too. I guess they hired her to be on the safe side but surprisingly they fired her for the scarf. They even gave her a color code for her head scarf which she followed up with but they still fired her for the fact that she wears a scarf. This is pretty ridiculous. What is even more surprising that corporate fired her and not the local manager. It is pretty weird that the district manager came in to fire her. This reminds me of a similar discriminating case against Disney. A Sikh man was rejected for a job at Disney because “he did not fit the Disney image” and he had “a look problem”. Sikhism is a religion started in India and requires its followers to wear turbans. So I guess it is a similar case. The woman was fired for wearing a scarf and this man wasn’t even given a job at Disney just because he was following his religion, something he has lived with all his life. It is also hypocritical for Disney to make millions of dollars promoting cartoon characters that wear turbans and simultaneously reject the right of an employee to wear a turban in accordance with his faith. Abercrombie probably wants to maximize its profits by having their employees follow a specific look policy but at the same time people of different races and religions shop at Abercrombie. After looking at this case, they are obviously going to lose customers because they have clearly violated the rights to freedom of religion. I just believe that everyone should have to right to follow any faith they want and shouldn’t be discriminated against. It is pretty messed up to see what the world is coming to. Clearly huge companies like Abercrombie and Disney are taking a step backwards in our society. This article is pretty outrageous but I’m not surprised at what happened. I feel that they shouldn’t have hired her in the first place. One of my friend works at Abercrombie and Fitch and he was telling me about the look policy the employees have to follow. I believe that it is okay for a company to have a look policy but in this case they shouldn’t have hired the woman if she was wearing a scarf. They should have told her that she doesn’t fit the look policy therefore they cannot be given the job. A lawsuit could be filed then too. I guess they hired her to be on the safe side but surprisingly they fired her for the scarf. They even gave her a color code for her head scarf which she followed up with but they still fired her for the fact that she wears a scarf. This is pretty ridiculous. What is even more surprising that corporate fired her and not the local manager. It is pretty weird that the district manager came in to fire her. This reminds me of a similar discriminating case against Disney. A Sikh man was rejected for a job at Disney because “he did not fit the Disney image” and he had “a look problem”. Sikhism is a religion started in India and requires its followers to wear turbans. So I guess it is a similar case. The woman was fired for wearing a scarf and this man wasn’t even given a job at Disney just because he was following his religion, something he has lived with all his life. It is also hypocritical for Disney to make millions of dollars promoting cartoon characters that wear turbans and simultaneously reject the right of an employee to wear a turban in accordance with his faith. Abercrombie probably wants to maximize its profits by having their employees follow a specific look policy but at the same time people of different races and religions shop at Abercrombie. After looking at this case, they are obviously going to lose customers because they have clearly violated the rights to freedom of religion. I just believe that everyone should have to right to follow any faith they want and shouldn’t be discriminated against. It is pretty messed up to see what the world is coming to. Clearly huge companies like Abercrombie and Disney are taking a step backwards in our society.

]]> By: rely http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-3/#comment-25086 rely Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:57:44 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-25086 In today’s society, we hear about discriminatory acts in the business world so often, it is just sad. But where do we draw the line? How can we tell the difference from an incident that was clearly a discriminatory act, or an incident in which the company’s policy was just not followed through? I am actually not surprised that this incident happened under the Abercrombie and Fitch company. I currently work at Abercrombie and Fitch, and they have a strict “look policy” that you have to abide by. They tell you all this before you are hired, right down to how the girls should wear their makeup and what colors their nails to be. You are even given a pamphlet to read regarding their look policy. We have to remember that Abercrombie and Fitch is a business. A business that tries to make profit based on their outward appearance. So they hire what they consider are people that meet the standards that they set. They have a certain style that they want to portray to the public, which is why they tell you to look and dress a specific way. I can’t really completely agree that this was a discriminatory act. The funny thing is that in this pamphlet it states how the Abercrombie and Fitch company does not discriminate against race, religion etc. I can’t really completely agree that this was a discriminatory act, although it wasn’t right. I don’t believe that it was completely discriminatory because we all know that this is how there business works. I think the major thing wrong here is that they were aware that she would be wearing the hijab. She made sure she told them about it. The company told her that iw would be okay as long as it was certain colors. She complied with what they told her, and still they fired her. This gives her enough reason to be upset, and does not set a good image for Abercrombie and Fitch. If they knew from the beginning that the hijab would result into a problem for there so called “look” , they should not have hired her in the first place, and gave her false expectations. Many stores have a certain “look” that you have to abide to. It’s all for the sake of business. Sadly, this poor girl got the short end of the stick, and was given false expectations. Now, this doesn’t mean that Abercrombie and Fitch hasn’t had instances where they are racist or blatantly discriminatory. Because, I, myself have witnessed it. I just don’t think that in this particular case, it should be regarded as so. It was wrong yes, but discriminatory. I am just not sure. This brings me back to my first question. How do we know for sure when an incident was discriminatory or not? Where do we draw the line? In today’s society, we hear about discriminatory acts in the business world so often, it is just sad. But where do we draw the line? How can we tell the difference from an incident that was clearly a discriminatory act, or an incident in which the company’s policy was just not followed through? I am actually not surprised that this incident happened under the Abercrombie and Fitch company. I currently work at Abercrombie and Fitch, and they have a strict “look policy” that you have to abide by. They tell you all this before you are hired, right down to how the girls should wear their makeup and what colors their nails to be. You are even given a pamphlet to read regarding their look policy. We have to remember that Abercrombie and Fitch is a business. A business that tries to make profit based on their outward appearance. So they hire what they consider are people that meet the standards that they set. They have a certain style that they want to portray to the public, which is why they tell you to look and dress a specific way. I can’t really completely agree that this was a discriminatory act. The funny thing is that in this pamphlet it states how the Abercrombie and Fitch company does not discriminate against race, religion etc. I can’t really completely agree that this was a discriminatory act, although it wasn’t right. I don’t believe that it was completely discriminatory because we all know that this is how there business works. I think the major thing wrong here is that they were aware that she would be wearing the hijab. She made sure she told them about it. The company told her that iw would be okay as long as it was certain colors. She complied with what they told her, and still they fired her. This gives her enough reason to be upset, and does not set a good image for Abercrombie and Fitch. If they knew from the beginning that the hijab would result into a problem for there so called “look” , they should not have hired her in the first place, and gave her false expectations. Many stores have a certain “look” that you have to abide to. It’s all for the sake of business. Sadly, this poor girl got the short end of the stick, and was given false expectations. Now, this doesn’t mean that Abercrombie and Fitch hasn’t had instances where they are racist or blatantly discriminatory. Because, I, myself have witnessed it. I just don’t think that in this particular case, it should be regarded as so. It was wrong yes, but discriminatory. I am just not sure. This brings me back to my first question. How do we know for sure when an incident was discriminatory or not? Where do we draw the line?

]]> By: Dekontee01 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-2/#comment-24994 Dekontee01 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:36:34 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-24994 these people can not be serious .... how could they be so evil, rude and disrespectful.I do not know how many times i can stress this point..WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS. it only take one jerk to make such a decision. for me an being is a human-being regardless of race, sexual orientation, religious belief, etc. it is not fair and this story breaks my heart to know that something like this still occurs in this day and age. she is capable to do the job a person without a scarf could do. I like my job for the simple fact that is is diverse and the mangers do not discriminate and hire people based on their skin color of religious beliefs. it is sicking and unbelievable. i believe a law suit should be filed and the jerk should be fired. these people can not be serious …. how could they be so evil, rude and disrespectful.I do not know how many times i can stress this point..WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS. it only take one jerk to make such a decision. for me an being is a human-being regardless of race, sexual orientation, religious belief, etc. it is not fair and this story breaks my heart to know that something like this still occurs in this day and age. she is capable to do the job a person without a scarf could do.
I like my job for the simple fact that is is diverse and the mangers do not discriminate and hire people based on their skin color of religious beliefs. it is sicking and unbelievable. i believe a law suit should be filed and the jerk should be fired.

]]> By: Nohpay http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-2/#comment-24672 Nohpay Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:21:02 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-24672 Disappointed yes, shocked no. Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Ruehl are all owned by the same company and they all have this same "look policy". If you go into anyone of these stores without knowing which one it is exactly, you will notice that everyone looks the same, talks the same, smells the same, and even the music played is the same. So that is why it is no shock to me that this girl was eventually fired. They probably wanted to make it look like they want to diversify their staff and then after a while realized that they could not tolerate it anymore. I myself am not white, I am actually hispanic and I was hired by Abercrombie and worked at the one downtown for a little while. And I did not realize nor did I think about this until now that I watched this video but I applied to be a "model" which are the people on the floor helping the customers and advertising the "look" however I did not get hired for that position and was given a stock position with very little hours and they were during the very early hours of the day when the store was still close. As i previously stated I never even thought twice about this until now and in the video the woman goes on to say that when they do hire people of a different color or ethnicity they are usually hired to work in the back with the stock. I eventually left because of the lack of hours...but were there really no hours to give out or was it because my hair is a little curlier and my skin a little darker, hmmm? Disappointed yes, shocked no. Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Ruehl are all owned by the same company and they all have this same "look policy". If you go into anyone of these stores without knowing which one it is exactly, you will notice that everyone looks the same, talks the same, smells the same, and even the music played is the same. So that is why it is no shock to me that this girl was eventually fired. They probably wanted to make it look like they want to diversify their staff and then after a while realized that they could not tolerate it anymore.
I myself am not white, I am actually hispanic and I was hired by Abercrombie and worked at the one downtown for a little while. And I did not realize nor did I think about this until now that I watched this video but I applied to be a "model" which are the people on the floor helping the customers and advertising the "look" however I did not get hired for that position and was given a stock position with very little hours and they were during the very early hours of the day when the store was still close. As i previously stated I never even thought twice about this until now and in the video the woman goes on to say that when they do hire people of a different color or ethnicity they are usually hired to work in the back with the stock. I eventually left because of the lack of hours…but were there really no hours to give out or was it because my hair is a little curlier and my skin a little darker, hmmm?

]]> By: ezf5009 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-1/#comment-24802 ezf5009 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:36:09 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-24802 Although I find fault in your initial comment, I agree with this particular one. The main issue with this incident is the fact that the store hired the worker under the condition that it would be O.K. to wear her headscarf as long as it was white, grey, or navy. The store needs to get everyone on the same page regarding hiring and the “look: policy.” This all seems like common sense, and after the clothing company’s internal miscommunication I can’t believe they were stupid enough to fire her. This whole situation just screams a lawsuit, but from their history they don’t care about discrimination. Although I find fault in your initial comment, I agree with this particular one. The main issue with this incident is the fact that the store hired the worker under the condition that it would be O.K. to wear her headscarf as long as it was white, grey, or navy. The store needs to get everyone on the same page regarding hiring and the “look: policy.” This all seems like common sense, and after the clothing company’s internal miscommunication I can’t believe they were stupid enough to fire her. This whole situation just screams a lawsuit, but from their history they don’t care about discrimination.

]]> By: ant5061 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-2/#comment-24687 ant5061 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:49:19 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-24687 Seriously when I first saw the article I was completely outraged. This is ridiculous that any company would try to tell an employee that they are not allowed to wear something that is part of their religion and that they have been wearing their whole life. Not only was it completely wrong of Abercrombie to fire the girl based on her wearing of the hijab but it was especially wrong because they told her upon hiring her that she was allowed to wear it. Honestly, if I was working at an Abercrombie or Hollister I would probably quite considering what they did to this girl. The company had no right to fire her for that especially after it states in the company's policy that they are a corporation that has leverage diversity. In no way, shape, or form does this issue of them firing a girl based on her wearing of a headscarf help show that they are all about diversity. In fact, this issue shows just the opposite of how much abercrombie and hollister don't incorporate diversity into their workplace and shows really how much they do discriminate. What is even more sad is that this is not the first allegation that the company has received in reference to discrimination. Almost everyone that shops at those stores or has at least been inside of one of them can see that the stores themselves are made up of mostly white, fit, blue-eyed, blond-haired males and females. There is absolutely no diversity that can be seen in most of the stores that the company has. Every Abercrombie and Hollister that I have ever been into are filled with exactly the same type of people working there. The stores typically try to portray the image of very sexy individuals who look like they belong on a beach. Honestly, the fact that they do that is so sickening and there is an extremely good chance that the girl who they just fired did a better job as an employee there than some of the white employees. The company claims they are all about diversity but everyone knows that this is a load of crap right there because they are anything but diversified. What I find also disturbing is the fact that those stores that do have African Americans working there typically give them jobs in the stock room where no one, at least not shoppers, can see them. I don't see why any company would want to be that cruel other than for the reason of them trying to make lots of money and get the best sales but that is no excuse to treat someone like the way they are. I have quite a few friends who have worked for either Hollister or Abercrombie and have honestly told me how the ones that are of a different race are usually stuck to work in the stock room whereas most of the white employees are working in the actual store itself. I'm really appalled that a company would think it is even the slightest bit ok to treat people like that. Overall, I just feel completely disgusted by the company and feel extremely bad for the girl that got fired. I really hope the Muslim girl's family sues the company to the fullest that they can and hopefully some justice will be served through the process. Seriously when I first saw the article I was completely outraged. This is ridiculous that any company would try to tell an employee that they are not allowed to wear something that is part of their religion and that they have been wearing their whole life. Not only was it completely wrong of Abercrombie to fire the girl based on her wearing of the hijab but it was especially wrong because they told her upon hiring her that she was allowed to wear it. Honestly, if I was working at an Abercrombie or Hollister I would probably quite considering what they did to this girl. The company had no right to fire her for that especially after it states in the company's policy that they are a corporation that has leverage diversity. In no way, shape, or form does this issue of them firing a girl based on her wearing of a headscarf help show that they are all about diversity. In fact, this issue shows just the opposite of how much abercrombie and hollister don't incorporate diversity into their workplace and shows really how much they do discriminate. What is even more sad is that this is not the first allegation that the company has received in reference to discrimination. Almost everyone that shops at those stores or has at least been inside of one of them can see that the stores themselves are made up of mostly white, fit, blue-eyed, blond-haired males and females. There is absolutely no diversity that can be seen in most of the stores that the company has. Every Abercrombie and Hollister that I have ever been into are filled with exactly the same type of people working there. The stores typically try to portray the image of very sexy individuals who look like they belong on a beach. Honestly, the fact that they do that is so sickening and there is an extremely good chance that the girl who they just fired did a better job as an employee there than some of the white employees. The company claims they are all about diversity but everyone knows that this is a load of crap right there because they are anything but diversified. What I find also disturbing is the fact that those stores that do have African Americans working there typically give them jobs in the stock room where no one, at least not shoppers, can see them. I don't see why any company would want to be that cruel other than for the reason of them trying to make lots of money and get the best sales but that is no excuse to treat someone like the way they are. I have quite a few friends who have worked for either Hollister or Abercrombie and have honestly told me how the ones that are of a different race are usually stuck to work in the stock room whereas most of the white employees are working in the actual store itself. I'm really appalled that a company would think it is even the slightest bit ok to treat people like that. Overall, I just feel completely disgusted by the company and feel extremely bad for the girl that got fired. I really hope the Muslim girl's family sues the company to the fullest that they can and hopefully some justice will be served through the process.

]]> By: EmilyButzner http://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf/comment-page-2/#comment-24432 EmilyButzner Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:32:46 +0000 http://www.racerelationsproject.org/?p=1909#comment-24432 This story infuriates me. For one, I have always been hesitant to support Abercrombie and Fitch or Hollister because I have always known they hire people based on their appearance. In high school, one of my best friends tried to get a job at Abercrombie and Fitch and they said she wasn’t what they were looking for. They told her she wasn’t “model” material. For one, isn’t it illegal to not hire someone based on their overall appearance? Second, it is very conceded for a company to think that all of their employees must look as if they were professional magazine models. If I have learned anything from all my Women’s Studies and Sociology courses, I have learned that people come in many different shapes and sizes. Everyone is beautiful in their own way and it is very unrealistic for a person to look like a PhotoShopped model on the front of Cosmopolitan magazine. Now onto the issue regarding the young lady who was fire based of a religious tradition. First off, Hollister hired her in the first place knowing she was going to be wearing head scarves to work. Obviously it wasn’t a problem when they fired her. I think the color policy of the head scarf is absolutely ridiculous. I’m certain that American citizens have the right to freedom of expression AND freedom of religion. If the head scarf was being worn for religious purposes, it shouldn’t have been legal for the young lady to get fired. Religious traditions are always an exception to most rules. For example, when I was younger, I played soccer. We were never allowed to wear any jewelry during practice or games, unless you had a religious necklace. Religion is always an acceptable reason for anything. Celebrating a religious holiday is an excused absence from school, is it not? So why was this young lady not allowed to express her religious beliefs at work? Hollister shouldn’t be allowed to fire her based on her appearance, especially if she was doing her job correctly. America has become too harsh when it comes to our First Amendment rights. I think that this Muslim woman should definitely file a complaint and possibly a lawsuit. I’m assuming she wasn’t planning on making this retail job her future career. With that said I am interested by the fact that higher end companies and jobs allow their employees to express their religious views, so why doesn’t a small retail store deny religious freedom? What statement are they setting for this country? We are supposed to be a diverse nation, but how can that be when clothing stores like Hollister and A&F only hire women and men who represent less than one percent of America’s total population? This story infuriates me. For one, I have always been hesitant to support Abercrombie and Fitch or Hollister because I have always known they hire people based on their appearance. In high school, one of my best friends tried to get a job at Abercrombie and Fitch and they said she wasn’t what they were looking for. They told her she wasn’t “model” material. For one, isn’t it illegal to not hire someone based on their overall appearance? Second, it is very conceded for a company to think that all of their employees must look as if they were professional magazine models. If I have learned anything from all my Women’s Studies and Sociology courses, I have learned that people come in many different shapes and sizes. Everyone is beautiful in their own way and it is very unrealistic for a person to look like a PhotoShopped model on the front of Cosmopolitan magazine.
Now onto the issue regarding the young lady who was fire based of a religious tradition. First off, Hollister hired her in the first place knowing she was going to be wearing head scarves to work. Obviously it wasn’t a problem when they fired her. I think the color policy of the head scarf is absolutely ridiculous. I’m certain that American citizens have the right to freedom of expression AND freedom of religion. If the head scarf was being worn for religious purposes, it shouldn’t have been legal for the young lady to get fired. Religious traditions are always an exception to most rules. For example, when I was younger, I played soccer. We were never allowed to wear any jewelry during practice or games, unless you had a religious necklace. Religion is always an acceptable reason for anything. Celebrating a religious holiday is an excused absence from school, is it not? So why was this young lady not allowed to express her religious beliefs at work? Hollister shouldn’t be allowed to fire her based on her appearance, especially if she was doing her job correctly.
America has become too harsh when it comes to our First Amendment rights. I think that this Muslim woman should definitely file a complaint and possibly a lawsuit. I’m assuming she wasn’t planning on making this retail job her future career. With that said I am interested by the fact that higher end companies and jobs allow their employees to express their religious views, so why doesn’t a small retail store deny religious freedom? What statement are they setting for this country? We are supposed to be a diverse nation, but how can that be when clothing stores like Hollister and A&F only hire women and men who represent less than one percent of America’s total population?

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